Moruga Red is one of the hottest of the Trinidad Scorpion chillies, which are hotter than the Nagas and other types of superhot chilli. It has been recorded at over 2 million Scoville units, but averages about 1.2 million. At 2 million, it would have a higher concentration of Capsaicin than military grade pepper spray.
The flavour is surprisingly delicate, sweet with a floral fragrance, although the actual tasting process requires considerable care.
The plants need fairly warm conditions to get going, and really need more sunlight than they can get in the UK. Although the plants carry plenty of green fruit, the UK growing season is too short for many of them to ripen. Because they ripen so late in the season when light levels are dropping rapidly, UK grown Moruga Red chillies will be a lot less pungent than those from Trinidad.
The extreme pungency of these chillies limits their culinary value for most people. For those who can take the heat, Moruga Red has an excellent flavour.
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